All articles by EricPankoke

I grew up on adventure games, and while there seems to be a resurgence in popularity of the genre (disregarding the underground movement that argues they never went away), I still get really excited every time a new one pops up that isn’t filled with hidden object screens or scores of mini-games that are eitherContinue reading...

If you like time management games, you should give My Hospital a try. It has a thriving online community and developers that actually like to get feedback and implement changes based on user input. Now you can throw “fostering awareness of breast cancer symptoms and treatments” into the mix. Beginning November 16th, Cherrypick Games hasContinue reading...

Welcome to the not really all new, once again renamed latest edition of my App Store roundup. When I first started this was a weekly (mostly) publication, and the games I covered generally came out in the week prior to my post. Then it finally got to the point where I was covering a mixContinue reading...

To this day, Into The Dead is still one of the best zombie infinite runners on the App Store. It had a “The Walking Dead” vibe to it, with plenty of atmosphere and visual panache to keep you perfectly on edge. There were multiple game modes, lots of things to unlock and companions to easeContinue reading...

Once you start playing Toby: The Secret Mine you might think to yourself that it feels a bit like Limbo. Don’t worry, that’s to be expected. Even the developers admit the inspiration in the first line of their iTunes description. What makes a game like Toby worthwhile is that it stands out despite the similarities,Continue reading...

So as luck would have it my “regular schedule” thing didn’t work out so well. On the plus side, at least it was less than four months between roundups unlike last time. Even better, almost everything is from this year, and most of the games actually came out in the last couple of months. SeveralContinue reading...

I’ve been a fan of G5 for a long time. I realize they don’t actually develop the games themselves, but their logo at the beginning of an adventure was usually a guarantee of a solid game play experience. No one is perfect, however, and for G5 it seems that Deep Town is one of theirContinue reading...

I love adventure games, and while I have nothing against the “hidden object movement” it’s nice to play a more traditional adventure every once in a while. The Enchanted Books certainly fits that bill for the most part, though due to its Myst-like nature there are no NPCs to interact with. Otherwise it’s just whatContinue reading...

Sorry I’ve been gone so long, but I assure you it’s not because of a lack of games worth playing. Hopefully I’ll be able to keep up with a more regular schedule for a while now, assuming that developers still turn out some games that work with my ancient iPad 2. So without further ado,Continue reading...

The tale of Lost Grimoires continues… sort of. Like many of the popular Big Fish Games franchises, the only thing this has in common with its predecessor is the name, at least as far as I can tell. That’s okay, because it’s a decent game in its own right, with most of the same featuresContinue reading...

At a time when it seems like the term “adventure game” is used to either encompass everything that’s not a puzzle game or made synonymous with hidden object games, it’s nice to find an entry that’s more along the lines of what I’d consider a “traditional” adventure game. That is to say a game whereContinue reading...

So we’re over half way through February, and I’m still waiting for winter to hit. Nah, I’m just kidding; I’m perfectly content with the less than frigid weather we’ve been having in the Midwest this year. Luckily the weather has no bearing on playing iOS games, and once again I have what I hope isContinue reading...

Welcome to Flappy Bird 2.0. The protagonist has a gun, the obstacles fight back and if you want to truly “complete” each stage you’ll need to have a reaction time that borders on crazy. If you’re not into “retro” gaming you might be put off by the screen shots, but you really shouldn’t let thatContinue reading...

I’ve always considered the Artifex Mundi logo sort of a stamp of quality when it comes to adventure and hidden object games, and Lost Grimoires is certainly no exception to that rule. While this may not be the most challenging offering in its genre, the story is compelling enough to keep you until the veryContinue reading...

The wait is over – my first roundup of 2017 is officially here. So as not to disappoint, I made sure that nothing I covered was released after the end of last year! Seriously, though, I’m trying to catch up just a bit as always, and as long as a game is still available andContinue reading...

While it seems like several developers have “mastered” the art of churning out casual games one after the other, Donut Games is one of the few companies that has managed to do it with consistently high quality. In the last couple of years they’ve started publishing some more complex offerings as well, the latestContinue reading...

Depending on the kind of shooter I’m playing I’ll usually mention one of two reference points from the “glory days” of gaming: 1942 or Time Pilot. This definitely falls to the latter for comparison, as one might even assume without seeing the name that it was in fact a remake of the 1982 classic (yeah,Continue reading...

Well folks, another year is almost over, and this is officially my last roundup for 2016. It’s been a great year for iOS games, and I look forward to seeing what the New Year has to offer as well. Hopefully you’ve gotten at least a few hidden gems out of everything I’ve shared over theContinue reading...

About a month ago Highlights Monster Day went free permanently. If you have young kids this would be a great way to introduce them to what a typical day in the life of a kid looks like, regardless of whether you are a monster or a human. As a parent you might even find yourselfContinue reading...

I don’t normally promote trailers for video games, mainly because the game itself is the most important part of the package. In this case, however, I found this trailer to be clever, and if all you see of it is the TV spot then you’re missing out. So, here’s the full live action trailer forContinue reading...

If you live in the U.S. then Halloween is a distant memory (relatively speaking), Thanksgiving just passed and Christmas is around the corner. After that comes the uncertainty of a new year and, this time around, the transition to a brand new leader of the country. One thing that remains the same, however, is theContinue reading...

I have already reviewed the second Forgotten Places game a while back, but I was impressed enough that I decided it was time to check out the first one. I have to say that I’m a bit disappointed we may never see a third entry in the series, because for the most part I didn’tContinue reading...

In the United States it is election day today, so I’m too busy watching day old comedian commentaries to write a good intro. Suffice it to say that unlike the election there should be no surprises here, especially if you’ve read any of my roundups in the past. As always I’ve tried to compile aContinue reading...

It’s that time of year again: apple cider, pumpkin pie and a chill in the air. No wait, that’s Thanksgiving… wow, they’re like twin holidays separated by almost a month! Anyway, I’ve tried to make it a custom to release a horror themed roundup to coincide with the tradition of Halloween. Unfortunately, due to someContinue reading...

I hope you guys are ready to get your game on, because as usual the App Store doesn’t disappoint when it comes to mobile entertainment. My good buddies over at Nitrome, none of whom actually know me, released cool casual game Redungeon. It’s sort of an infinite runner with a rogue-like look and feel, upgradableContinue reading...

The adventure game landscape seems to be leaning heavily towards hidden object games or room escape style game play, so I’m always thrilled to see what I consider to be a more traditional style of adventure game. It’s even better when that game is actually fun to play, and Isoland certainly kept me going untilContinue reading...

If nothing else, Mad Max showed us that a post-apocalyptic future can be really bad. Apparently, the folks over at Robot Gentlemen decided to toy with the idea that even a grim future – which just happens to take place in the 1950’s – can be sprinkled with humor. If Home Improvement took place inContinue reading...

Whiteout is the fourth installment of the Lifeline series, following two outings in space as well as a wierd tangent in some mystical otherworld. This time around we follow the progress of V. Adams, a man trapped in a snowy wilderness that has no idea who he is. He’ll communicate his situation to you, andContinue reading...

Tiny Passengers is about cute clay characters, budding friendships and the need to pile as many people as possible in quirky rides. It’s primarily a quick reflex game, but even when you’re not playing puzzle mode it helps if you can plan ahead a little bit. The atmosphere is clearly geared towards children, but asContinue reading...

The intro has always been my least favorite part of the roundup to write, but I suppose you have to start somewhere, right? My addition from this list is most definitely Micro Machines. The game is based off of a series of small scale cars from the 80’s and 90’s, and after spending more timeContinue reading...

Ultimately my goal is to find gaming experiences for my iPad that are entertaining. Ideally, however, it would be nice if some of the games brought something new to the table. That’s where Progress To 100 comes in. Imagine taking a snarky GPS and crossing it with a “think outside the box” puzzle game, andContinue reading...

I’m not sure why, but for some reason I find it kind of amusing that as our society seems to drift more and more towards spending our entire day on electronic devices, some developers go out of their way to make that experience have the “old school” feel of classic physical entertainment. Such is theContinue reading...

Please don’t fall out of your chair when you realize it has barely been a couple of weeks since I published my last roundup (at least if you’re reading this when I first post it). This time around the majority of the games I selected are family friendly, but three in particular were made withContinue reading...

Sometimes, in what I suppose is an attempt to quell your frustrations that your order is taking too long, restaurants will happily supply you with the “peg game” at your table. You know, the one you want to throw across the room before too long because you can never get it down to just oneContinue reading...

The App Store continues to be flooded with new games, and I continue to try and dig out the ones that aren’t some variant of slots or a game that was “loosely” based off of a template from a “learn to code in 12 easy steps” online course. I found another online game that suitsContinue reading...

I’ve always loved side scrolling platform games, which I think is one of the reasons I’m such a fan of the 8 / 16 bit console eras. It’s still one of my favorite genres to indulge in today as long as the game is done right, and Super Phantom Cat is definitely hits the markContinue reading...

If you’re like me it’s the middle of summer right now, so shame on you for not taking advantage of what is hopefully nice weather outside. Now that I got that out of the way, let me tell you about some of the games I’ve been playing recently. My electronic sports skills are about onContinue reading...

This roundup seemed to feature several dungeon crawl / exploration style games, which isn’t all that surprising given that I really like that type of game play. While none of them were particularly revolutionary in what they offered, they all had one or two features that felt unique to their peers. The Greedy Cave isContinue reading...

I don’t typically get into what I consider “twitch” games, mainly because I’m just not that good at them. As a result, levels that to me seem like they should be easy and interesting often become frustrating and make me just want to shut off the game. I would consider Symmetrica a “twitch” game, atContinue reading...

If I mention the likes of Big Fish Games or G5 Entertainment you’ll know what I’m talking about in an instant, especially if you’re a hidden object game fan. Artifex Mundi, on the other hand, might not ring any bells. If it doesn’t you should look them up, because their iOS games have received someContinue reading...

Madfinger Games recently celebrated their 6th anniversary as a games development company. Since their inception they have released 10 games on the App Store, including some of my favorite FPS games. They’ve even released Shadowgun: DeadZone Game Master’s Kit on the Unity asset store, which is basically the entire Unity project for their standalone multiplayerContinue reading...

Yep, it’s time for me to get all opinionated on you again. This roundup’s theme seems to be “cool variants of games you’ve seen before”. There’s an interesting adventure game called The End of the World by Sean Wenham, an extremely retro looking arcade game titled Tomb of the Mask that’s lots of fun, andContinue reading...

Several of the games for this edition of the roundup came in pairs. CarsBattle and On The Run are both vehicle based games, though one is more like an infinite runner and the other lets you drive like a maniac and blow everything up… okay, at times there’s a bit of that in both games. Continue reading...

When it comes to hidden object games, Big Fish Games and G5 Entertainment seem to have dominated the mobile market. However, if more developers / publishers start turning out games like Forgotten Places: Regained Castle, the “big two” might actually start facing some serious competition in this genre. The game is certainly not without itsContinue reading...

So after making a splash for releasing some of the biggest mobile devices on the market, Apple is reversing their trend with a new 5 SE phone and a smaller iPad Pro. Such a fickle consumer base us iOS junkies are. At least that hasn’t diminished developers’ desire to release games in any way. OnceContinue reading...

Ever have one of those experiences where you know a game is great, but you wish that either the developers had done one or two things slightly differently or that you simply could play the game under better circumstances? Perfect Angle is just such a game for me. When a game’s opening screen is itselfContinue reading...

It’s hard to believe it’s been over 3 years since we last saw Loreen and Nathaniel, but the outrageous couple is back and ready to start their life of Happily Ever After. In this sequel to the wonderful adventure game Royal Trouble: Hidden Adventures, our royal duo has just gotten married and are embarking onContinue reading...

Spring is in the air, more or less. Thankfully, better weather doesn’t deter me from playing games. After all, even on the nicest days it gets dark at some point. This roundup features a couple of interesting hybrid games, as well as an interesting take on a style of RPG I’m not normally fond of. Continue reading...

Ever had the desire to talk to a fictional character? On March 22nd you’ll get your chance, at least if the character you want to chat with is Taylor from the first and third installments of the Lifeline series from 3 Minute Games. Just load up your favorite Twitter client on the 22nd and sendContinue reading...

Lifeline: Silent Night is the third in a series of “interactive conversations” from 3 Minute Games. On the plus side, this chapter of the series returns us to the adventures of Taylor the astronaut, because the second installment went off on some weird mystical tangent that was anything but engrossing. The problem with Lifeline, andContinue reading...